“Bob Gottfred can’t help but feel ‘very blue’ after selling his 92-year-old family business, Erie-LaSalle Body Shop, for what he would only call ‘an offer we couldn’t refuse.’

“The new owners, a national auto chain, have no use for Erie-LaSalle’s mid-century neon sign — featuring the shape of a 1957 Plymouth — that’s been a bright anachronism presiding over River West for decades.

“‘It’s been gratifying, taking a car that’s wrecked, pieces of steel all bent up, to put it back together and deliver it to somebody,’ Gottfred said.

“Gerber Collision & Glass, a national auto repair chain, bought out Gottfred and recently slapped its own logos on Erie-Lasalle’s shops in Little Village, 2440 S. Kedzie Ave., and River West, 1005 W. Huron St. The deal closed Feb. 13.

“Gottfred recognized the more-than-1,000-pound sign from the River West shop was worth more than just scraps of steel. He found Nathan Rock, owner of restoration business Industrial Artifacts, by “going through the internet.” Rock bought the sign and lugged it out of the city last week to his warehouse in DeKalb for repairs.

“The move is being mourned by local preservationists who are seeing mixed fortunes for the city’s iconic neon signs as owners of businesses like Gottfred cash in on their private property.

“The future is unclear for another mid-century modern sign outside Pride Cleaners after the historic Chatham business closed last weekend, leaving neighborhoods increasingly vulnerable to losing some of their clearest signs of identity.

“The City Council passed an ordinance in 2023, backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, allowing for new building owners to keep up designated ‘vintage signs’ even if their permits expired. The ordinance saved the Grace’s Furniture sign in Logan Square after a developer bought the building.

“But preservationists say there is little financial incentive for owners like Gottfred to keep signs up as public art after their small businesses twilight. Historical designations aren’t given for signs without also landmarking the building, said Ward Miller, executive director of Preservation Chicago.

“‘The costs fall on owners,’ said Miller, who named neon signs to Preservation Chicago’s 2015 ‘Most Endangered’ list. ‘They could use a little help with waiving fees.’

“Miller said neon signs used to light up Chicago streets before they began to decline in the ’60s as new city laws limited signs, raised fees and required street safety inspections.

“McClellan said there are about 30 classic neon signs left in the city, from the famed marquees outside the Chicago Theatre and Wrigley Field to small businesses stretching the city from Candlelite Pizza in West Ridge to Fox’s Pub in Beverly.

“Kelsey McClellan’s sign business, Heart & Bone, recently did free restoration work for Central Camera’s famed neon sign Downtown.

“‘The few historic signs left, they’ll never be replaced,’ McClellan said. ‘Any minute a business owner can get an offer, and another sign is gone.’ (Liederman, Block Club Chicago, 4/4/26)

Read the full story at Block Club Chicago

• As Chicago Loses Another Iconic Neon Sign, Preservationists Sound The Alarm; There are about 30 mid-century neon signs remaining in Chicago — but not clear incentives for owners to keep them up when their small businesses close, preservationists said, Mack Liederman, Block Club Chicago, 4/4/26
• Neon Signs, A Preservation Chicago 2015 Chicago 7 Most Endangered